The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-04-16
OLD TESTAMENT INTERPRETATION.
BY REV. ANsoN TITUS.
(Amesbury, Mass.)

/ d uoIo anu iulIeI Sbuuy, Is SnOWn Dy
the pressing needs made by the recent
discoveries in Egypt, Babylon and Pal
estine. These new and long hidden
ruins and inscriptions are awakening a
zeal on the part of the church it has
not cherished in any of the years of its
history. Arch@ology-a study Of the
long ago past-has message to the
studious world as urgent as that re-
corded in the historical accounts of the
ancient days. Archaeology isanew study.
The writings of the ancient dispense
ton have not suffered from it. Some
of the theories advanced for their ex-
PLANTATION have been sadly used but
these revelations of cities and temples,
long buried in the decay and rubbish Of
the years, have been for the stimulation
of fresher study, and made us to know
that the hearts of centuries ago are akin
to the hearts of to-day. These studies in
arch zoology and of the ancient writings
in the light of present scholarship have
enabled the great church to come to a
better understanding of the social life
and religious fervor of Israel's early
days. These still uniting, great hopes
have We of the brighter Examinations
of grace waiting upon the studiousness
of Hebraistic life and literature.
First, there are matters in the Old
Testament which are HISTORICAL; second,
there are matters in the Old Testament,
which, perhaps, owing to their frag-
mentary character, cannot be attached
to the known history third, there are
incidents and reigns of kings and judges
which can be appropriated by chron-
illogical test; and fourth, there are
matters recorded of men and courts
which cannot be attached to the pres
emit chronology Of the Bible, and, in fact,
cannot be fastened by any test of this
character; fifth, there are matters which
must be treated as allegorical, or as
visions, or as dreams, which demand
an Interpretation, in way and view
different from the historical or the
chronological tests. The Old Tesla
ment cannot be judged solely by either
of these methods. Each OF them must
be used, and even then, riddles will be
continually coming, so that difficulties
will stand in the way. The Old Tesla
ment is never going to be read, inter-
preted or accepted as is the New Test
ament; but faithful students in spite
of this, will see in the ancient literature
Of the chosen" people OF God, a line,
golden thread, prophecy, hope, a
forward look, which kept an ember or a
fire upon the sacred altar; or which
thrilled a single witness, to speak of
the guiding providence in every ger
Grafton.
Interpret as we may, the hope of
Israel founded in the promise Of wo-
mans seed to bruise. the serpent's head,
will truly be found to course through
the literature of the temple or the pal
ace. Chronicles, prophecy and the
psalms are joined by the peculiar fer
vor of the Hebrew race. Many may be
the things inconsistent with the social
life and religious rites of to-day; but
we must bear in mind that the source
of the great blaze of influence in which
we live, stands only midway in the
fifty centuries between US. We must
study their social and religious life,
not in the light of our day, but in the
light of their day. From to day stand
those people Of God would rather be,
judging from their living at certain Pc
RODS of their lives, children of the devil.
But in their own light-we note that
this nation, to which is attached the
name peculiar" and these men, who
bear sacred titles in the calendar of the
church, was a nation, and were men
who rose above the character of their
fellows. and lowered above the charac-
ter of their neighboring nations. Com
parative study is blessed benediction
upon the man who delights in history
1t teaches him to observe nobleness
amid frailty; high mindedness amid
weakness, and that men having crevices
in their armor, are often of strong parts
and possessing the noblest of character
istics.
In our various methods of criticism
of the worlds earliest writings, we can
not help but gain good and with the
fuller light which Egyptian plains,
Babylonian valleys and Judean hills are
sending forth in the discoveries of their
archaeological explorers and scholars,
great promise is there that these writ
ings will stand before US in a more vivid
view. The limits gained through the
geology, the metereology, the flora,
the cereal, the contour of mountains
and water courses, all of these are for
the correcting or continuation Of the
slight limits gained in the historical
and descriptive accounts of the phys
ical geography Of those parts. Add to
these the remains, in waste and ruin,
of temples and city walls, with their
inscriptions and hieroglyphics, and our
minds are nujta COMPLIANT that the Pan